The extinct shark <i>Otodus megalodon</i> was a transoceanic superpredator: Inferences from 3D modeling.

Abstract

Although shark teeth are abundant in the fossil record, their bodies are rarely preserved. Thus, our understanding of the anatomy of the extinct <i>Otodus megalodon</i> remains rudimentary. We used an exceptionally well-preserved fossil to create the first three-dimensional model of the body of this giant shark and used it to infer its movement and feeding ecology. We estimate that an adult <i>O. megalodon</i> could cruise at faster absolute speeds than any shark species today and fully consume prey the size of modern apex predators. A dietary preference for large prey potentially enabled <i>O. megalodon</i> to minimize competition and provided a constant source of energy to fuel prolonged migrations without further feeding. Together, our results suggest that <i>O. megalodon</i> played an important ecological role as a transoceanic superpredator. Hence, its extinction likely had large impacts on global nutrient transfer and trophic food webs.